The Three Worst Secrets

Dinner With The Lees

They stood together until he'd calmed some.

Hyunjin couldn't stop himself from tucking hair behind the elder's ear as they pulled apart, sheepishly cowering under Minho's glare.

"Sorry. But I'm not lying. Everything will be okay."

"What will make it okay?"

"Letting us make this better. You were wrongfully hurt, and used like a pawn for a game of chess you weren't aware you were playing. It wasn't my game, but I did take part in it. And realizing what it did to you made me a better person Minnie. You changed me."

He sniffed "Yeah. You changed me too." Anger rolled off of him in waves.

Hyunjin swept long hair out of his face with a sigh. "I'm trying here. What do you want me to do?"

Minho shrugged, tilting his head back. "I don't know! I don't know."

They heard steps down the hall and froze, before spinning towards the doorway.

It was Minho's mother. She had full makeup on. And an apron.

She smiled all white and plastic at them. "Hyunjin my dear, are you staying for dinner?"

"I'd love to!" he proclaimed, talking over the elder's whisper of disapproval.

"Perfect. I'll call you boys when it's ready."

Minho shot him a bona-fide death glare. "Why?"

"I don't know. They seem kind of nice."

His father ran the entire conversation of course, asking about Hyunjin's schooling, his father, his older brother. The way he spoke to him so easily, it was like he'd been aching for a chance to entertain someone.

Minho could barely stomach the soup, squeezing his marks until the pain sharpened his surroundings, watering his eyes.

"Well, my son could use a friend. He's not very good at making them." The older man wheezed.

Hyunjin stopped laughing. He stopped smiling. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, not that it's any reflection on you darling, he's bad at most things." His mother tried to ease, unaware of what had set him off initially.

"Why would you say something like that in front of him?" the taller boy whispered, lowering his spoon.

Minho's father coughed and looked away. "He doesn't mind."

Hyunjin was standing up. "Yes he does. He does mind. He HAS to mind because you aren't even talking about me- and I mind."

"Well I didn't mean to offend, but I know my son better than you do."

"I don't mean to offend but clearly you don't. You shouldn't speak badly about him." He looked between them all, talking to himself. "It's no wonder."

The older man lifted his face, already halfway to being an entirely new skin color. "No wonder WHAT?"

"Jinnie please. Just stop." But his voice was cellophane, barely there at all.

"No 'Jinnie'. Why don't you say what's on your mind?"

Hyunjin crumpled his napkin, noticing the death-grip Minho had on his upper arm. "No wonder he's like that." He muttered, keeping their gazes locked.

"Are you telling me it's my fault my son wants to be a girl and kiss boys?"

"What?"

"Darling, maybe we shouldn't discuss this with the-" she was cut off.

"Are you telling me his SICKNESS is brought on by me?"